Hello my curly beauties! Today’s post is specifically for my wavy-haired readers with type 2a, 2b, or 2c curls. If you have type 2 wavy hair, your hair may need a little time and patience before it reaches its full curl potential. You may deal with a lack of volume, waves that won’t hold, and lack of definition. Some products and techniques will work for your type 3 and 4 friends, but they will make your curls look weighed down and over-moisturized. In this post, I’ll be sharing my best tips for naturally wavy hair!

Read on for 7 tips for naturally wavy hair.

1. Use lightweight stylers.

To avoid weighing down your curls, choose lighter styling products. Avoid heavy creams and butters that are designed for maximum moisture. Opt for water-based products over oil-based. Try mousses and light hold gels for beachy waves. Or, if you want more hold, use a medium to strong hold gel. Keep your product lineup simple.

2. Rotate your cleansers.

Although you can use a co-wash, I don’t recommend co-washing exclusively. Instead, rotate your co-wash with a gentle sulfate-free cleanser. You may need to wash your hair more often than type 3 and 4 curl types. That’s totally normal! Just do whatever works best for your hair.

To avoid buildup, clarify on a weekly basis. You can either use a cleanser with a tiny amount of sulfates. Or you can use a bentonite clay mask for a sulfate-free option. You can find full instructions in chapter 3 of my ebook, Embrace Your Curls.

3. Diffuse your curls.

Although air drying is fine, you will get better definition and volume if you diffuse your curls. I especially recommend that you try pixie diffusing and root clipping to create more volume without frizz.

Read this post: How to Diffuse Curly Hair + Best Diffuser Attachments

4. Flip your part.

When your curls are drying, flip your part from side to side every 10-15 minutes. This will encourage your curls to dry with more volume. Or, if your curls happen to look limp and need a little more volume, flip your hair into a deep side part. You can also flip your head upside down and shuffle your roots with your fingers or a root pick to create more volume.

5. Don’t skip deep conditioning.

You may be tempted to skip out on deep conditioning, thinking that it is too heavy for your curls. It’s not! Girls with naturally wavy hair should still deep condition their hair every 1-2 weeks. Just ensure that you rinse the deep conditioner out thoroughly before styling your hair as usual. 

Read this post: How to Deep Condition Curly Hair

6. Try curl-enhancing techniques.

If you want tighter waves and curls, I recommend trying either finger coiling or shingling. These techniques will take a bit longer, but they will train your curls to be more curly and defined.

Finger Coiling:

This curly hair technique is specifically for wet hair. If you want your curls to be more defined and tight, you can use this technique AFTER applying products with one of the above techniques (raking, praying hands, scrunching). When your curls are wet, take an individual curl. Smooth it out to ensure that there are no tangles.

Then, use your middle finger to twist the curl from root to tip. Next, twist it back towards the root with your hand, and from root to tip with your middle finger again. Repeat this a few times until the strand coils when you release it. Continue doing this until you have gone through all your hair. This will take some time, but it will give you shiny, bouncy spirals.

Shingling:

This technique should be done on soaking wet curls. First, ensure that your hair is completely detangled and smooth. Carefully comb through each section with a small-tooth comb to remove any micro-knots. Then, separate your hair into several sections, and clip up whatever sections you’re not working on.

Next, apply a small amount of curl cream, leave-in conditioner, or gel to a section. Start at the roots and gently slide down to the ends. Comb through to distribute the product evenly.

Then, gather the hair in one hand, and gently separate one curl at a time from the main section. Take a tiny amount of product between your index finger and thumb and smooth it down the curl from root to end. You can also twirl it tightly for more definition (optional). Scrunch upward to finish with the curl. Repeat for the whole section, doing one curl at a time.

This will take some time, but it will give you beautiful definition for days!

7. Follow girls with naturally wavy hair on Instagram.

To learn more about caring for your naturally wavy hair, I recommend following IG accounts for wavy hair. You can learn so much about best products, techniques, and more! Here are a few recommendations for high quality, informative content from veteran curly girls.

Courtney @swavycurlycourtney

Mary Ann @goodgravyitswavy

Let’s Chat:

Do you have naturally wavy hair? If so, what are some of your best tips for caring for wavy hair? I’d love to hear your thoughts and advice in the comment section!

love,

Claudine